Your Co-Hosts Margie and Rachel are going back underground! Specifically to the Shifter underground! Listen in as Rachel tells Margie all about Bears Behaving Badly by Mary Janice Davidson! We all have whiplash from this one, so strap in!
Your Co-Hosts Margie and Rachel are going back underground! Specifically to the Shifter underground! Listen in as Rachel tells Margie all about Bears Behaving Badly by Mary Janice Davidson! We all have whiplash from this one, so strap in!
Oh hello, and welcome to textual tension. I am your co host Rachel and every other week I jumped in here before the episode and give you guys the lowdown on what's happening in our world. Betsy is here to help. She's rubbing her tail all over the microphone. So she's doing a good job. Hey, guys, How's it go in? We have an awesome episode for you today. And it is actually a listener recommendation. In the actual episode, I have some trouble finding who gave us the listener recommendation. I do find it eventually. But just throw it in here. Victoria. Thank you. It was a blast to both read and discuss as you go, we'll find out. And hey, if you want to give us a listener recommendation, might I recommend heading over to any of our social medias? That is that textual tension pod at all of the social medias to grams and Twitter's and stuff. And hey on Discord too, you can find a link to that on our website, textual tension pod.com or through our Instagram. You can also shoot us an email at textual tension pod@gmail.com. And hey, if you are in the discord, and you want to be part of the super secret, third tier Patreon discord, maybe head on over to Patreon at patreon.com/textual tension. There's all kinds of fun extra stuff over there. We do monthly live streams, we do talk about the six. We give out gifts to our third tier patrons and bloopers and stuff. It's a lot of fun. And we really, really appreciate the support. And hey, if that is not in the cards right now for you, that's totally fine. 100% Super, totally cool. One thing we would ask is if you would maybe consider going over to Apple podcasts or whatever pod catcher you use, and leaving us a rating. We are doing a campaign right now for the rest of July. So that every five star rating that we get, we are donating $5 to the Trevor Project, which helps at risk teens in the LGBTQIA plus community. So if you want to do that, literally nobody loses it is a win win all around. And it takes like five minutes if that. So if you would do that I would we would really, really appreciate that it's super helps us and more rating scenes where people can listen to the podcast, which we are really hoping will happen. So spread the word, get the name out there, and we would really appreciate it if you did that. We do have Speaking of Patreon, a new patron to shout out. Hey, cod one time. Thank you. You're wonderful. And also have a Neaton username. I like it. Thank you so so much for your support. And we're really happy to see you here now. And I think that's about it update time, our update wise. So I think it's time for some romance novel wisdom. A tiger can't change its stripes, but it might be able to turn into a human and some people are into that alright guys, hey, without further ado, please enjoy episode 73. We're all horses. Oh, Taryn me apart from Hello, and welcome to textual tension, a love hate relationship with romance novels. I am your co host Rachel and I am your co host Margie. Every other week one of us reads and summarizes a romance novel for our other unsuspecting co host this week. Margie is listening in. Oh, no.
Margie:Oh, no.
Rachel:You are ready, right. Ah, yes. Oh, good. I'm not. And together we unpack what
Margie:the fuck just happened. That was good.
Rachel:That was pretty good. Yeah, it's you're helping. And Margie? Yes, we're playing it fast and loose today. Are we? I am wildly unprepared. No, no.
Margie:Did you finish the book?
Rachel:I finished the book. Okay, I have this notes. Yeah, write down the
Margie:bullet point drawings.
Rachel:And then yeah, dude, that's from work. Yeah, yeah, cuz I did this at work. Not today. I did it a couple days ago. Actually. I just I had time. I just
Margie:look.
Unknown:Look, my sinuses are
Margie:all over the place. My ass you know? We are both experiencing high levels of allergies. I feel like I've been miserable.
Rachel:My mental health ain't Great. Now. You know what? Fuck it. I got cookies. We'll look forward to after this and we're gonna have a good time. You don't
Margie:have to try. It's always a good time.
Rachel:Still think we're gonna have a real good time because this book was
Margie:I can't wait. Oh, please tell me about it.
Rachel:So this was a list of recommendation. Okay. And it was a list of recommendations that I cannot for the life of me find who sent it to me. So, please, if you were the one that sent me this please let me know I will shout you out on Instagram. I spent so long trying to find who this was but
Margie:a good you know, good reader slash sender.
Rachel:I know so yeah, Margie. I just sent it over to you in the chat. I'm so excited.
Margie:Let's see here I am so I just I haven't even I haven't even opened it yet. I just saw like the tab open on the top of my Google bears behaving badly
Rachel:I so I was sick on Monday, because like sinuses and asthma and everything, and I literally sat on the floor of my living room and just read this for six hours.
Margie:So okay, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna describe the cover. It helps features. It's called bears behaving badly light and airy Janice Davidson the her name sounds real to me.
Rachel:Which honestly it kind of does.
Margie:It does. So we got we got a he look we got a boy because I don't know if he's a homeboy and our boy yet got to try not to judge him based on how he looks. He is very shirtless. Has his pecs are enormous and then just like washboard abs of course, and he has some sort of tattoo on his on on his left and our right when we're looking at it pectoral. But I don't know what it is the chest stubble, and he's looking at me with very green, sultry eyes. He's got brown curly hair, but the most distracting thing about this image is the bear behind him literally. Like a jerk. It's not even like a real bear. It's a drawn bear. I thought this is it looks very drawn to me when I'm looking at it here it doesn't look like a real bear but he is a real photographed man. So it's just weird and then I think even find him in the bear there are flames.
Rachel:Oh good. Yeah, to be fair. The his the type of bear that he is is extinct. Bronco like maybe it is a drying
Margie:heel. It looks like a brown paper.
Rachel:Sure. Sure. I'm okay, I'm debating on if I want to give you a couple of my gut reactions. But yeah, go ahead. Well, before you read the description, I will say the reason I picked this one up out of some of like I have a list of liquor listener recommendations I need to get through the reason I picked this one up is because I read the description and loved the concept. Absolutely loved it. Really I did so I'm really curious once you read it what your thoughts are because I think as far as like shifter romance novels go, it is a rock solid concept.
Margie:Okay, okay. I am I am a little concerned but you know what we're here we are here we try I try my best which is not very good. approach things with an open mind.
Rachel:I will also want other thing you know what this cover? Actually another reason I picked it up this cover is almost exactly format wise the same as the bachelor book.
Margie:Yes. I thought it was the same author at first. No, that look the same. It is I don't think it is either. I'm gonna I don't I don't recognize his author's name.
Rachel:I'm gonna double check while you read that good. Good description.
Margie:Okay. All right. So I was not going to read the in bold part at the top. But the last sentence there I'm like, No, I can't skip over this. Okay. These social worker bear shifters give the term mama bear a whole new meaning. Bestselling author Mary Janice Davidson is back with this brand new paranormal romance series featuring a foster care system for at risk shifter babies and teens. Where I will I'm going to love STG werebear werebear shifter and that Garcia Garcia are Garcia
Rachel:Garcia Garcia is what I said, Garcia
Margie:Yeah, is a caseworker for the interspecies placement agency when a selectively new and freakishly strong teen werewolf was put in her custody, and that has to uncover the young girl secrets so she's going to have any hopes of helping her and not even the growling of scruffy private investigator infrastructure for bear shifter David auberon appreciates a network with with at risk teens shifters. But he's not sure of her latest charges so much vulnerable teen as a predator who should be locked up. All that changes when he and that and her Motley Banda juveniles find themselves dodging multiple murder attempts in covering a trafficking cartel that doesn't threaten the kid. But risk discovery of the shifter by the wider world of homeostasis homosapien. Okay, that already answers one of my questions. But that just created more questions in my mind because I was wondering if the rest of the world knew about these like, shifts where shift like were shifters in general but bear shifters specifically and I guess not However, there's still an inner species placement agency, which means they're organized which means there's a lot of them, which like the homo sapiens need to like, step it up. Like why do we keep being like because I'm assuming Rachel excuse me, I am assuming that you are not you are not aware shifter, but I should not assume you just mean just just not told me yet. Exactly. With your shifty eyes. You may have just not taught me yet. But like, if there are were shifters out there, I'm kind of like we need I feel like we should have figured this out by now. Like
Rachel:you think and that is that is a subject in the book.
Margie:Okay. It's kind of like Lois Lane watching Clark Kent and get into telephone booths and and fly out to Superman every time. Maybe we should question this a little more. Are you a journalist?
Rachel:Those those glasses sir. Grade A Grade
Margie:A, he's, well how tall is six foot five? The same height as Superman? Wierda.
Rachel:Imagine what I mean, honestly, in the age of smartphones. Imagine like, that's weird. Clark Kent just checked in this one disaster.
Margie:Ah, okay.
Rachel:So okay, so when I read the description, the idea of like, bear shifter, who is a caseworker for at risk teens is like, the most mama bear I love. I do like that. It's very good concept. And I would also like to say, I just looked it up. It is a different author for the Badger book. Okay, we're not there. Okay. However, this is I think the first shifter book we've had, that I think should be put up on a pedestal of this is how to write shifter romance.
Margie:Okay, wow,
Rachel:it was a lot of fun. Oh, my, I still have complaints. But as far as like universe and worldbuilding goes, they did a fantastic job, how it should be? I think so we'll go into that a little
Margie:different types of animals are there are literally any characters.
Rachel:There's not too many characters, but you can there's there can be shifters of anything and a lot of them show up. So like bunnies show up and elk and like jackals and foxes and wolves and bears and like everything. And also they have like attributes as humans they act in the way that it like have attributes that you would expect from someone who could do that. So it's very well done to
Margie:do shifters just kind of like a mom of two homosapiens come together and they make a shift or randomly or is it like you got to be like the child have to wear tigers to be aware of Tiger yourself.
Rachel:It is genetic. Okay, I'm not they didn't go into if it's like not shifter parent versus shifter. I think that most shifters go with shifter bows, but it's not necessary. I don't I don't know. They didn't go into that that much actually. Yeah, that's
Margie:an interesting topic of the bar. Oh my god, I thought that Mike and Sheila were really gonna like make it they seemed really good. The other person is like a little bit drunk. Yeah, unfortunately. Sheila's a shields a dolphin and he's like some sort of new like, like horoscope shit. Oh, shit. You don't? Yeah. Yeah, it is. I mean, another vodka soda, please.
Rachel:Alright, so triggers. And this time I think I would like to try something new for triggers. Hey, editing Rachel. Insert a music that sounds like someone's listing off symptoms in a drug commercial.
Margie:I love that. That is there we go. Great.
Rachel:Triggers may include foster care, homophobia, blood A lot of blood blood human trafficking, child trafficking and child abuse child sexual abuse, animal abuse.
Margie:Wait, well wait, is it human trafficking though or is aware trafficking, where trafficking where trafficking but human trafficking is the trigger in our world?
Rachel:Yes. And also children, child trafficking. And oh, there's more
Margie:children are humans Rachel?
Rachel:Oh, shit. Really? Damn it. I've been doing this wrong my whole life. There's some uncomfortable language. Ah, that I won't like call out just if you read the book know that it's there. And murder. Mentioned murder. Probably not mentioned. Oh, sorry. Racism. Oh, yeah. And I'm going to call it supremacist groups.
Margie:Good. Yeah.
Rachel:And music.
Margie:Hey.
Rachel:Yeah, so that said all of those things occur and her referenced in the book still break up. I liked Okay, so Okay. Let's get into this. Yeah. We have a net Garci she is a bear shifter. And she has like, tall blonde hair kinda like bombshell. Okay, I'm pretty sure. I actually don't. They put more emphasis on her bear form. So I bombshell, just oh, she's a bombshell. Okay. David has brown hair. He has green eyes and is like, ripped. Right? Kind of like dark broody, kind of like, the cover. Yeah, that guy on the cover. There's also a couple side characters that are worth mentioning. Okay. Um, so we have Pat who is a nets roommate. Okay, I love Pat. They are gender fluid. Okay. Um, and they are wonderful. They're just great. And then there's Dev, who is a little 13 year old piece of shit who is very cute. Okay. He's a wear Fox. So he gets into all kinds of shenanigans. Oh, there is Natalie for no swiping pretty much. And then there's Natalie who works with a net and then who she is a raptor aware Raptor. So like a hawk kind of thing.
Margie:It was like a dinosaur.
Rachel:No. Raptors are meat eating and hunting birds
Margie:Lifetime's away through life where? Where's dinosaurs?
Rachel:Life? finds a way. And there is a carol or Keroh is what they call her Carolyn. Carolyn. She is the werewolf that got into trouble in the beginning of this. Okay. Okay. Yes. So it's a lot of characters, but they're all kind of like, those are the main characters. Okay. Um, so one thing right off the bat that I would like to mention, and this is going into a little more detail as to why I think this book was done well, as far as like writing shifter characters. All of these characters have traits that you would expect, okay for their animal counterparts. So for instance, where like bears tend to have huge sweet tooth and are hungry, just all and like even the writing like when you first meet a net, she's not a morning person and she goes through like people by her little alarm clocks because she just crushes them every morning. Oh my gosh, so it's written even in such a way like she paused at the alarm clock kind of thing. Like it's very like it's how you it should be okay. So starting off a net is waking up after a long night where she was working with a private investigator David to bring in a pair of shifters, one of which was a werewolf that attacked a dude seemingly out of nowhere on the street and like severed some fingers and like did some fucking damage
Margie:Yeah, again, a homos homosapiens where we add on this like, we don't suspect anything.
Rachel:So I should also mentioned that humans are referred to as stables and by the shifter community, so shifter and stable one shifts once
Margie:okay. Oh, okay. I was also it's um, like, it's they're not referring to humans. It's like the like a stable.
Rachel:No, no, no. We are not human. They mean all horse. Well, I guess. We're all where horses, horse cattle
Margie:versus in the end,
Rachel:in the end, the end doesn't really matter. So they're referred to as stables. And the other thing for Robin building purposes is that there isn't the whole, like full moon is the only time they change uncontrollably they can change into their animal at will. So that's yeah. So she had a long night with David. And she's getting a lot of shit at it for it at the office, because everyone at the office has like been so you guys dating yet? No, we're not dating. You're never gonna date? We barely know each other. Right? Well, but okay, but like, Are you dating? No. So, so she's been working with David, they brought in Cara and Dev are the two that they brought in. And they they kind of need to figure out what happened. Yeah, obviously. Yeah. So in that house, and
Margie:how many you still have eight fingers? It's fine. Yeah, why you're freaking out about that.
Rachel:I have all eight fingers. It's cool. So Annette is very much on the mindset of I got to protect my my pack my babies like it is very much a mama bear vibe. And that herself actually grew up in the shifter foster care system. So she grew up in the system and went into the system to help kids have a good experience like how she had, okay, so she goes in, and she is interviewing Dev and Keroh separately. And Dev is very much like he is a little piece of shit he is on their radar has been forever. But he's like, she loves him. He's adorable. He's incredibly smart polyglot can like get out of anything, like just, and that's why he runs away, like at the drop of a hat because he's like, I don't want to be here anymore. It just leaves. Like that kind of kid. And he is insistent that a net takes care of Keroh because they are siblings dammit. They're not Yeah, she's very confused. Because she's like, but you can't. Yeah, right. What? And she's like, he's like No, like I'm here because which you know what Dev? It's if he's doing anything if he's somewhere it's because he wants to be there right? Yeah, he's like I'm here for her you need to take care of her. And so they go into talk to Kara and Cara does not talk will not talk so they don't really get much out of her. So what they are doing is they are in the process of preparing for court. They brought these kids in they need to simply go through the court process normal court or shifter court. So there's also
Margie:what what are the HomoSapiens doing Oh, there is another court building that we just had that extra please ignore the bears the animals in Somalia on top
Rachel:they do take like like comment about like this is so there are select people in government think of it like muggles, right? Yes. There's a select there are select people in government that no, this is the thing that exists. And so they kind of like, oversee like, or like, okay, so thus this organization exists and these courts exist or whatever. But it's not wide knowledge. Right? Yeah, very much a Harry Potter style Mughal wizard kind of okay. Okay, relationship. And they actually make that reference in the book. So. Um, so the writing was delightful. I still have some complaints, but it was delightful. Okay, very sassy. So they, they're on their way to court. But they in the kind of the shifter world, things work a lot faster than in the human world. Out of necessity. So because they got to keep everything moving quickly, so that it can less opportunity for taking it out. Right. So they David and Annette are working together and they go to meet with lunch. Lunch is the guy that Kero attach. Right. Okay. And David is really taken aback that a net wants to work with him. Because, and it's like, yeah, like, we're, we're gonna go work together on this right? And he's like, internally like, wait, what? Huh? What? She wants to wait a minute, because he's had a crush on her for like, a couple of years.
Margie:But oh my god, okay. Okay.
Rachel:Yeah, he but he's like super quiet and just doesn't talk to people and he just stands in the corner and broke his with his flask of maple syrup that he pours into his coffee.
Margie:Oh my god. Okay. He's also the embodiment of the country Canada.
Rachel:Yeah, yeah. He's very cute. Um, so they go to London. They go to the hospital and Lund was fuck, just write the fuck up by this chick and she like, and they're like confused because they're like, Okay, like, he obviously knows what shifters are like. He is a shifter Okay, how did this young girl beat the fuck out of him? Like right what kind of cuz he comes from a family of wolf shifters okay? Yeah, so um they're like how the hell did this kid like get a drop the drop on him and also deaf says like this girl is not going to attack someone unless she has a reason and you know we've deadlines but you know yeah um and this so they meet him in the hospital and he's like no no no no that's fine not gonna press charges Nothing to see here goodbye he is like on his way out he's missing fingers seems sketchy those don't grow back no matter whether your shift or not
Margie:okay glad okay
Rachel:yeah so he is like on his way out ready to eat and they're like okay you might not be pressing charges but like the government still has to like go through the process. Yeah, it's fine to not Broadway by and leaves and they're like
Margie:always hiding something. Yeah,
Rachel:they're like that was shady he was shady right? Yeah, you picked up on that right? Okay, cool.
Margie:My bear senses are tingling and to investigate you know, like bears do
Rachel:so they're like well, should probably we got to go get the kids for like the Court appointment. We can talk to them and we'll we'll talk to the judge to see if we can investigate this further because obviously, something's wrong. Can we stop at McDonald's first? They're always making pitstops at best Yeah, um, so
Margie:snack snacks snacks.
Rachel:So they make it back to the organization and there's gonna be a lot of like jumping around this is one of those books I like I said I read it and six hours straight and I came up for air and got to the end of it and I was like, Wait, there was only like three days in book. Okay, like had no just blacked out on that
Margie:time was differently for Bear. Right Brian? Bear time bear different
Unknown:than regular? Yeah, different than regular
Margie:time. I just well. Well, maybe was it at the other day? It's hibernation, too. So you just see them napping and again
Rachel:quick to the bear cave i found it I found who recommended the book. Who is it? Victoria who is on our Discord and we chat with all the time shout out to the discord Yes. Hit us up on the discord Alright, cool. So so they swim back to the their organization headquarters. And Natalie so a little bit about Natalie Natalie works very closely with a with a net who I'm going to start calling net Okay. Cuz they refer to her like that sometimes in the book. Okay, I've talked about why in a second. But um she works closely with her she's this like raptor where raptor and she is like a British lady. That is for some reason. No longer allowed in England. We don't know why. But she is like, very, like prim and proper and like full of herself kind of and like don't You don't want to cross her because she will start squawking like crazy. It's like
Margie:Minerva McGonagall.
Rachel:Less like, I don't want to say uptight because that's not quite right. But less like prim and proper. Okay? More just like highbrow. Okay? Make sense? Okay. Yeah, yeah. So they show up and she's like, Well, bad news, darlings. What? They're gone. What do you mean, they're gone? Both of the kids are gone. Kara has just gone deaf also gone. But they find him first. He's in the kitchen. He's like, Yeah, I wasn't gonna go anywhere. I gotta be here for court. Right? And they're like I don't believe you. But if I wasn't gonna go anywhere, it's fine. He definitely let his sister out. We'll just say okay, so they at least have dev they have him he's still like no like i i I'm here out of the goodness of my heart and really dev you little piece of shit or not? Yeah. So they're able to get him at least and they're like shitting their pants because like we have to find care Oh, she's kind of the one that did
Margie:battle right right, knows their things and did the shit
Rachel:right but they're at least able to get down to court so they take them to court but on the way there's a little bit of a snafu because they're in the parking lot car parking garage there. They're on like walking into the building and out of nowhere. David slams into net, who in turn grabs Devon shocks him. Okay, because a car comes speeding out of nowhere and tries to run them over.
Margie:Oh good,
Rachel:good, good good right good good. So not a great start to a court date no. So they make it into the court and and it's like freaking out a little bit and it's just like it's not the first time she's almost been hit by a car. But will she is she isn't there so it's a bear she's a bear and it's definitely this is not the first crazy case that she's had to deal with. Okay, so like she has had people try to kill her before over like cases and stuff. So they get into the thing and I'm it never explicitly or the the building it never explicitly said and I actually had a lot of fun trying to figure it out. I think that the judge is aware moose. Oh, but I don't know because he just sits there eating salad from a bucket. And he's a huge data.
Margie:I love it. I good I mean, I can believe it. His assistant
Rachel:is aware elk, okay, who is always like a net? When are we going to that one burger place you can't eat meat. It makes you sick? I don't care. It's so good. Oh my god.
Margie:Get a veggie burger.
Rachel:That's what they tell that's literally what they tell her that she's like, it's not the same. So they go into court and and that is like look, something's going on. This is what we think is happening. Someone tried to kill us in the parking garage. I would like three days to investigate this. And in that time, I want to take these kids and Cara once we find her into my custody as essentially like parents familia, like I'm their den mother, essentially. And the judge is like, Okay, I you know, I give you permission we need obviously, something's happening. I agree something's being covered up. And since someone is going after the kids lady,
Margie:this seems suss as fuck, right. Yeah.
Rachel:Which part of my brain is like, okay, it's shifter world I'm sure things operate in different terms. And the other part of my brain is like, alright, with the justice system actually be this effective.
Margie:I mean, I would let her I would trust literally any other justice system over the American justice system almost at this point and that in, in magical universes, not in our own world.
Rachel:I would like to motion to turn all judges into where most judges Yes. Fair. He was a moose are aware bunny. I don't know.
Margie:The fact that he was huge makes me think big dude. And, and that cow, maybe? Or I don't wear bunny I'm gonna cross out because he wasn't furiously horny at all times.
Rachel:You don't know. He's quiet. Quietly,
Margie:furiously fucking at all times.
Rachel:There you go. So and that and Dave and David's like, I'll help because the judge knows Dev. Like, bull kid. He's like, really? Yeah. Sounds like a lot of work. And David's like it's fine. I'll help too. Yeah, yeah. This little all help with a little bastard. So so a net takes them all back to her place. Because her place is like she has land so she has David's actually taken aback by how nice her houses and she has like 25 acres. And it's all family money. So she is actually she got into casework for the love of the game like no money. Okay, so she she ended up like when her parents died, she got a good amount of money, but she still had to go into the foster system because she was so young. Okay, she when she was able to She used that money to buy like her chunk of the world. Okay. So when she takes them back to her place, they meet Pat for the first time. And there's actually this really interesting because that's an ex roommate and Pat is a where jackal. Okay, and he's kind of off the grid a little bit, okay, he has like this huge scar down one side of his face and he is gender fluid. So their gender, their gender fluid, in this case, sorry, in this case, he is presenting as he also in this scene, so that's why they are gender fluid. But he so they they're like it's there's this actually really cute scene where like Dev is like, trying to very subtly like get closer to be like, like you what you doing kid? Nothing. I smell weird donut and they're like, explains like right now. I'm like, at 515 Like, you know, like, you know, it's that's why they're saying what? Male to Female. Okay, okay. Yeah. And identifying, like, on the scale. Okay. So they like, you know, they actually talk about that, which I thought was kind of interesting. And they go into a little bit of Pat's background and the reason why a net is so comfortable bringing death to pat and like here is that a net saved Pat. Pat was stupid when he was younger. He went into shifter supremacy group. And they fucked him right the fuck up and tried to kill him. Once he realized, Hey, I'm being dumb, so and that saved them and but as a result, he's like seeing some shit and he will fight and owes a net
Margie:I am convinced that the supremacist part of shifters is all human. That because humans are jackasses and they're like, one human is better than the other. And I'm like, yeah, it's it's the human side of them that creates that created that
Rachel:and that has very strong opinions on how inbred that side of the shifter
Margie:is, you know what? I guess just Yes, just leave it out there. Yes. Right. Yep.
Rachel:Um, so they that's why so that's why and that is feels comfortable bringing dev back to their house because like, Pat is who's gonna take care of it like, Okay, well, they're, they're like, Okay, Dev, you're here. Cool. Great. Annette, trust them. So did not realize how buckwild this right timeline was until I started bullet pointing this shit. So yeah, now. Yeah. Now David and Annette need to go talk to Lund again, except they kind of get a call and someone's like, hey, so bad news bears. Oh. Lunz dead.
Margie:Oh, no, man this finger since I've gotten some gangrene.
Rachel:Yeah, he got Khalid he hella died. So they're like,
Margie:sure dead. So do not even like light dot even light dead. Just a lot dead. That's a lot dead.
Rachel:Okay, a lot dead. I'm sure. Dead actually dead. So they I'm sorry. This is the next day. Okay. So they they did they actually sleep? They did. They actually slept. David actually changed into his bear form and went out and like, investigated the woods and then came back and then they slept. This is the next day. Okay, sorry. The next day. They find out one's dead. Hella dead. Yeah. And they're like, Well, fuck, we got to go investigate the scene of the crime. We got to figure out what the hell's happening. So they go with Natalie over to lunch department. And as they're about to go up, they get a call from their boss saying, you know, sorry, you're blocked from the scene. You can't go up.
Margie:Okay. Well, and Yeah, makes sense.
Rachel:Well, so they're like, but this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Like we have the right to look at the crime scene. It's a shifter thing. And they're like, Yeah, but I know you're standing outside the door to the apartment, but like, you can't go in sorry. We're not going to give you the keys. Okay? They're like, Oh, no. Huh. So how law abiding Do you want to be today? So Natalie turns into a bird flies around to the balcony and lets them in. Okay.
Margie:You can do that.
Rachel:Right. And so they're like, going through and like investigating and this house, this apartment is immaculate. Like, no one has lived there. Okay, it is a stage like it is okay. Perfectly clean except for the bedroom, which is covered in blood. Yeah. Yeah, as you do. So they're, like, investigated, and they're like, they don't find anything they find, like no evidence, it's like, to the point where they're looking around, and they're like, these appliances have never have never been used. They're brand new. So it's just basically like a setup. Exactly. Yeah. But Annette being the smart cookie that she has notices that the washing machine is newer than everything else, again, never been used, but it's newer. Why would you buy a brand new washing machine if you're not going to use it? Right. So she like shifts that aside and finds this like secret compartment kind of thing? We're stuffing so good. Something something st Great. Oh, um, so she finds this folder that is full of implicating evidence for lunch. And it is not good stuff. It's a lot of shifter kids that are like in cages and being tortured and abused and it's not good. And so gray
Margie:mentioned torture Rachel That's another trigger.
Rachel:It's not specifically they have been tortured like they say like yes, like they haven't there been torture but it's not like actively okay. Yeah. Okay. Torture, so so much good abuse, so much.
Margie:Abuse. Maybe it's torture,
Rachel:maybe it's bows. I hope it's not bones. Um, so I'm just gonna sadly drink my soda. Talk about keep an eye on and animal abuse and the same pictures and bones, because they're both so it's a bunch of like kids and they see Keroh in one of those pictures. Oh, go figure. Strange
Margie:weird you know happened attacked that asked. Yeah, I can't imagine
Rachel:so naturally all of them are like sick to their stomach. Yeah, pissed right the fuck off and they're like, okay, but I don't know if we can turn these papers in because we broke it simply trying to prevent us right from find doing anything with these Exactly. It's a cover up
Margie:it's a conspiracy conspiracy.
Rachel:So, so they head back to the car trying to figure out what they're gonna do. And guess who's sitting on the hood of their car? Keroh. So they're like, yeah, right, right. So she's like, okay, cool. So she, she goes with them back to like, gets in the car with them. And they're trying to get her to talk because she's still not talking. And all of a sudden, an S phone goes off. And it is like, it's like staying alive or something like that. And she's trying like, oh, yeah, it's Who's That and nothing. It's just pat and David picks up on it. And he just guns it because something is wrong. That is like the emergency signal. Something is wrong. Okay. So,
Margie:so the song is the emergency signal signal. Okay.
Rachel:Yeah. So they roll up to a net, like Park in the driveway, right, like, run in. And there's like, four Wolf, werewolf shell shifters or whatever that are going after patent Dev, and like trying to kill them. And like, Pat is like, taking you know, made dev shift and like hide and like, Pat is like trying to protect him and everything. He's like, kind of bloody and everything. These fuckers David rolls up turns into a bear. Yeah, starts modeling modeling. Motherfuckers Yeah. And a net is like, sure that's gonna take too much time. Fucking shotgun.
Margie:Why be bad when you can use gun?
Rachel:I so I have the quote, edit. Like, part of the reason I love this book so much is because it's real fucking sassy. And the quote in this like, was absolutely hysterical. It so let's see. She has shewed buckshot. Slugs had the advantage of range greater accuracy and would shred their target at 1800 feet per second and could knock a full grown werewolf off all four paws. slugs, but also she used the technical term incapacitate like a bastard she's just like, fuck it and just murder some dudes.
Margie:Yeah, as you do,
Rachel:right so they take out all four of the guys and they're like we do not have time to hide the bodies. Let's all go to the safe house in the woods. Just drags everyone to the safe.
Margie:You make it sound like they're so chill about murdering four dudes and just leaving the bodies there.
Rachel:They are. They are so chill.
Margie:It's like a foster work case. Foster Care caseworker just being like Bang Bang motherfuckers
Rachel:time to incapacitate like a bastard and then murder to God Jesus. No, they're just they're just chill as hell. Basically it was like there it was to the extent of Well, I don't know they're trying to kill her. Whatever whatever. Let's go yep. So so she murdered some dudes Yeah. David murder some dudes. I was like, Oh, I was hoping you change into a bear to I'm really interested like I've never seen you shift. I'm curious. Just like maybe next time. Yeah, they go to the safe house. This is where we find out Carol can talk because Pat being the cinnamon roll the Pat is because we all love Pat. Yeah, walks in, sees that she's not talking and hands her a notebook paper. And she starts writing.
Margie:There you go. Yeah.
Rachel:Um, so they pat Dev and Keroh have to kind of stay put right? Um, so Annette and David are like okay, we need to kind of like go off the grid a little bit at least to the best of our ability they don't really go off the grid they don't even try but we need to go investigate this further and figure out what the fuck is happening because at this point like they're getting calls from their boss angry calls from their boss saying like the judge like is out to get you like he thinks something's wrong. He thinks you guys are involved like all this shit is happening and shit is hitting the fan. So just
Margie:any shit like moose shit.
Rachel:Exactly. So like we need to leave you guys stay here and stay put in the bunker. You'll be safe, you'll be fine. But like, chill for a second, right? So So they, they go, they they talked to Natalie, who is like, you know, the the judges over here at the hospital because they know that in order to investigate, that's where you need to come back to. And they also know that a net is a staple at the shifter NICU, because she goes there all the time to like help with the babies and so like, and she's like, he's here and he is rampaging. And if anyone sees you like you need to, they're going to report you, and you need to stay away. And it's like, no, no. So they go to the hospital. Yeah, David's like you're an idiot. This is a bad idea. And she's like, I know, but I got to do it. And they're able to sneak in through with the help of one of David's friends who is a stable, he's normal human shifter, which Annette is like, Wait, he, you have a friend who's a human. Yeah, that's not. And he's fine with it. And he's like, yeah, yeah, we're gonna go get beers later. It's fine. She's like, what is his. But so they sneak in. And they're like, all of the staff like, as soon as they see them are like, Oh, God put on these scrubs here hide like, they're like trying to hide them. And they, the they're able to talk to the staff and the staff slips them a file. And they're like, look, we heard why people are after you what they think you're doing as far as like, how you might even responsible or Lunz death, or you know, all these, there's children disappearing. And she's like, Wait, there's what she's like, Yeah, we reported this months ago, a lot of these babies who are like put into the system because they're orphaned or whatever, or just disappearing. And people like we tried following up and people like, oh, yeah, here's the paperwork. Definitely. We found them. They're definitely fine. But it's like we never see them again. Like, no, it very much plays in they're playing into the whole like, we are overworked. There's not enough people here. We don't have enough funding. I can't go after this. Right. Something has happened, right? And so they're like being given more information. They're given they they're given the business card for the dude that like the lawyer that followed up with them and everything like that. And they're kind of like, ushered out not after make or not before making out in the closet though.
Margie:You got to make. Yeah, you got to make out you got to make out at least once in the closet when you're doing investigative investigative work after murdering someone.
Rachel:Absolutely. Yeah. And it's one of those. It's one of those things where it's like, oh, god, he's coming shove in the closet. And
Margie:he's like, do you remember?
Rachel:And that goes after him? Yeah. So this entire book, the Romans kind of feels a little just sprinkled on top. Like it didn't
Margie:I kind of like it when it's like that, though. I don't like oh, I don't like romance novels, when the only plot is the romance. Yeah, there are a few exceptions to that rule, obviously. But
Rachel:it didn't feel one of my biggest complaints. I feel like it wasn't as established as a plot point, though. Mm hmm. And like, it was fine. The other plot was interesting enough that it carried it right. But there was like, the, the core of the romance is both of their internal monologues of Well, no, but they made it clear that they don't want to date. No, they did. Just talk to them. They have one of those moments. So they get out of the hospital. This is day two, by the way. And they're like, Okay, we need to go somewhere. And we need to lay low. That's fine. I have some buddies we can stay with for the night. Another pair of stables and they walk in and like David's like this is my you know, these are my friends Jen and the other day, Jenna Joe or something like
Margie:Yeah, super stable names.
Rachel:And then, like everything like that, and they're like, Do you want any food? What, what have salmon for dinner? It's fine. I'll cook it extra, like raw and like all the time. And she's like, What do you know? Like, are you like him? Are you like, oh, you turn into a bear. Right? And she's like, Yeah, David's like, yes, it's fine. They're cool. It's fine. I swear. And she's like, well, not exactly. I'm not. I am a bear. I don't turn into it's fine. You know, it's fine. Yeah, it's fine. So do they stay there overnight. A net again. Jumps David in the middle of the night. They make out a lot. Okay, um, and they get up in the morning and they. They're like, Okay, we got to figure out next step. So
Margie:this is the dawn of the third day.
Rachel:Dawn, the third day. Yes. So there because there's so much happening like side plot wise in this book. I'm skipping over some of the sign plots. Like if you if you have read this book, and you're internally screaming, I know. I skipped over the visit to a next foster mom. I get that. I also skipped over her foster brother and his involvement I get that I'm skipping over those things, but like, so much. Yeah. Now, this And I say that because this is the one instance where her foster brother is going to just pop up, because her foster brother is an accountant and was helping them track the money and shell companies. Yeah. So he shows up after almost being murdered again. Yeah, more werewolves. Yeah. And it's like, hey, it's like, hey, like, not doing great. But this is what I found and like, gives them a lot of information about
Margie:me. I didn't go into accounting to get murdered and throws down the papers.
Rachel:Oh, no, he's super into it. Actually. He's like, wanting to do more fieldwork. He's a wolf. Werewolf. Okay, yeah. So they decide that the next thing you're going to do is they're going to go talk with the one lawyer that was supposedly tracking down these kids for the hospital employees, right. So they go and meet him. And they're talking and he thinks he looks really familiar, but she's just not sure. Okay. And he's like, talking about brings up lunch all on his own and is like, yeah, like, oh, yeah, like I actually have to go to his memorial here in a little bit. But like, if you want, we can go visit those kids. Like, can you come back tomorrow, I gotta go to the memorial day. But if you come back, as he is, they describe him in the book as like. It's amazing that humans don't know werewolves exist Well, after they've interacted with this person, because he's like the most cartoon like big wolfish smile, used car salesman bastard you've ever seen
Margie:team size? We'll bet.
Rachel:And but I mean, their hands are kind of tied. What are the messages? Sure. Like, we'll come back tomorrow. And they leave and it's like, hey, you know, we should do? Follow him. Let's go hit up that memorials, right. It's great. They've been wearing the same clothes for like three days at this point, or two days at this point. And so they call it Natalina. Like Natalie. Help, right? So Natalie, like shows the go to a Super Target. Natalie just shows up with clothes and was like, All right, you put this on, you put this on? No, you don't wear the cardigan like that and put it over your shoulders.
Margie:Goes actually for wearing
Rachel:exactly the sticking point. So this entire time, they've been trying to figure out how a lot of the employees like the people that are after them know where they are, where the kids were, and how they're kind of being kept tabs on right? Because some somehow they're getting information. So they're starting to think that maybe like someone within the organization is feeding information or something or is in on this, like, essentially like this, this animal trading, where training or training wears raiding organization, right, right. Trainings, writing. So to join the army, dark way. Yeah. So they're trying to figure that out. So at this point, they're like, Okay, we're reasonably safe. Natalie knows where we are and where we're going. And that's it. So we should be fine. And they've like gone back and forth. Like Natalie. Is she Yeah, she's cool. She's Yeah, definitely. Cool. So they go to the memorial service, and there's the lawyer guy. Okay. His mom. Okay. And then a picture of lunch with the lawyer guy and his mom because they're brothers.
Margie:Okay. Okay. This is all good and aboveboard?
Rachel:Yeah, absolutely. Well, lawyer Blair boy really doesn't like lunch. Oh, and it comes out. So a net gears are turning as all this is happening of like as listening to them talk and everyone in the group like try, like in the little memorial service talking about how they like, didn't like Lund. And we got what he deserved, and Oh, shit. Oh, this is where the Harry Potter stuff comes in. And they use they make the comparison. They turned like, oh, he was. Well, we don't really have a term for it. But the rest thing is like a squib. Right, like, right. He was born to a werewolf family, but he can't transform.
Margie:Oh, and they don't like him. Yeah, he
Rachel:was like an outcast pariah the family kind of thing. So he, which is why he was able to heal really quickly from being attacked, but also why a young girl in werewolf form could hurt him. Right? Okay, so they're like, Hmm, makes sense. You guys hate him because he was a thing. So then it would make sense that as his version of revenge he would traffic in. Were creatures, right? Oh, yeah. Not great. No, you know, maybe therapy there.
Margie:Yeah, you know, like, we're, we're just gonna, you know, curve Paul of therapy. No, no, um,
Rachel:no, no therapy.
Margie:Okay. Not really. Okay. But I guess that's the way you're gonna go. It's kind of like Anna can Skywalker. Have you considered therapy before you literally kill all of the young links. I'm just gonna kill the young legs. Oh, okay. Okay,
Rachel:okay, okay. Sure. Sure. So, so they're she's talking with them trying to like get an idea of what the hell is going on and all sudden she hears sirens. And the lawyer guy is like, Ooh,
Margie:Oh God,
Rachel:I don't think we're gonna have that meeting tomorrow. Hmm. So naturally a net and David shit their pants, right? Because the only person that knew they were there was Natalie. And they're like, Fuck, yeah. So they they run out of the service, right? And like, get to the car, get to the dropper, get to Joppa and like, speed away, and they're like, okay, okay, we have no idea what the fuck we're going to do now. We can't exactly keep hiding and like doing all the shit. You know what? Fuck it. Let's make an offensive move. We know where his warehouses were, because of her accountant messed up like foster brother. Let's just go to one of the fucking warehouses. Fuck it. You know what? You know what? Let's take the direct approach. Why not? Why not? So they go straight up to one of the warehouses. Now, let's cut over real quick to pat and our little chitlins and our accountant friend. And Natalie. So our accountant friend shows up at a nice house with where and like, gets Pat's attention because he knows where Pat and like the safe house and everything is. And is like, hey, hey, I think some shits about to go down. And I think it involves your sister. And I think there's gonna be blood that we should probably do something. Yeah. And Natalie is also informed just like, yes, we should because spoilers. Natalie is not the Mole. She's good. We like her. Okay, um, so she, they're like, Okay, well, what do we do? Well, if they're taking the direct approach, we probably should get in the car.
Margie:Because I can't get in the car. We're gonna commit murder.
Rachel:Sorry, sorry. Kids should get in the car in the car, getting the chopper? Because of course, Pat grabs the shadow. Right? Yeah. Um, so they get in the car and they're with our accountant friends, so they know where the warehouse is to. So they also start converging on the warehouse. Okay, it's about to go down in the warehouse.
Margie:So back at the party at the fucking warehouse. It's gonna
Rachel:be a fucking something. So they roll roll up to the warehouse. listeners. I just did the like, lean back. Yeah. And on the Yeah, like, you know, rolling
Margie:in Winchester in the Impala. Sure.
Rachel:Yeah, we'll go Yeah. They roll up to the the warehouse and they walk in. And it's like that stereotypical, like, it's all dark and they just hear the slow clap. Yeah,
Margie:not even a good Dumbledore clap. Just a slow clap just as
Rachel:just a murderous, slow clap. Yeah. And who comes out of the shadows. But the judges assistant.
Margie:I thought you were gonna say the Spanish Inquisition.
Rachel:Nobody expected
Margie:but it was the judges assistant.
Rachel:It was the judges assistant, arguably greatest Monty Python thing ever. Spanish Inquisition but but yeah, so who is the where elk who can't eat meat but keeps wanting right with a net to eat meat? Yeah, which like should have been a tip she likes a little bit so she even she goes off on her monologue and admit it and afterwards is like come on I even monologue for you guys. The least you could do is like come with us who we like so it really is honestly. But she monologues about how like like it was all going so well because no one cares about the kids that don't like the the kids that don't have a support system so they just disappear and nobody cares. And obviously like kids
Margie:have the support system that he got where kids with the supports.
Rachel:And what is a more rich person pet than a literal werewolf?
Margie:Oh, that's gross. That's weird. Yeah, that's fucking goddamn stables be it's sketchy.
Rachel:Yeah, right. Well and where people okay and were also being sketchy.
Margie:Why?
Rachel:Because human trafficking and where trafficking, okay. I'm just thinking I'm in this pitch. What do they do?
Margie:Do they just lock them in the basement or like you bet up Bad Wolf
Rachel:so all of the pictures of like all the kids in cages and like the were very bad reforms and stuff was them essentially being broken and trained to be pets for people ah yeah it's not good it's terrible actually it's so bad
Margie:I don't like it I was tired already now more tired
Rachel:I mean it's not good great but but the wholesome people in the book help yeah a lot so so this chick is there and there's a whole bunch of like professional werewolf like assassin people that are also there and they're like Well sorry you're gonna have to come with us so we can go murder you in a secondary location which like never go never
Margie:go fight or fight tooth and nail and claw to not go to a secondary location.
Rachel:And so like a net and David are like no, no, we're good. Let's not not do that. We're gonna make it like like we got to make you work right you're gonna writer rice. Yeah, so much says yes. And so they're like, kind and they're like, come on, please. No, we're not going to do it. And so they're about to have the showdown and and that's like, God, I really don't want to do this. And then who rolls up but both of the kids and Pat Yeah, and she just looks at them and is like my cubs are here. My children are here. Fuck that shit and goes full werebear and just starts murdering people. Yeah, David's just sitting there like well I'm aroused by God because she is so David is like this bear that's like extinct in the wild. Okay are still shifters around. She is a polar bear California bear hybrid, which is a thing I looked it up Oh, wow. fucking huge.
Margie:Whoa.
Rachel:They're like, almost a ton.
Margie:Wow, they're
Rachel:massive and powerful. But they're and they are terrifying. Yeah, so she is like full 100% Mama Bear you do not touch my baby's gonna kill all y'all motherfuckers so she just goes and starts modeling some bitches and like crushing heads and she gets shot a whole bunch and like, David's just like, I'll support you. In the back. A good shot.
Margie:I'll be right back here.
Rachel:Right? Yeah, I'll take out a couple but you You go girl you got got honey. Yeah. And she just fucking wreck some shit. Everyone dies, everyone. Everyone dies.
Margie:Everyone dies except for our people who we love and adore.
Rachel:Fucking murders people. So basically what had happened was Pat and pat the kids and our accountant friend and Natalie all rolled up. And like accountant friends snuck around and like took out some scouts. And Pat's just sitting there whistling The Pink Panther theme tune with his shotgun keeping. I love
Margie:you
Rachel:just you know, keeping guard. Yeah. Take it out anyone who needs to be and then a net just fucking ramp, um, will recognize she did indeed wreck it. And then she wakes up in the hospital? Because she got shot. A lot.
Margie:Yeah. Is it like, a shift or hospital?
Rachel:Yes. Well, so so they actually getting all
Margie:hung up on this, like, I've read Harry Potter 1000 times and I'm still upset.
Rachel:They actually make mention of that. Because it's like an underground like, wing in the hospital. Okay, and the way they sneak into that part of the hospital when they like have to go back in is you know how I said that. David had a human friend that helped them sneak in. The human friend is like, oh, yeah, I mean, what you think all of this was built like, without humans like, in any way being involved? Like yeah, there are humans that know about this. Like we help to build it. Yeah, that's fine. Okay, but like we're not gonna go and like tell your secret everybody right? Like, it's for you. They I get a lot of LGBTQ analogies Yeah. Made with it. Cuz like part of the the thing with David and Annette and part of why she's so uncomfortable with David having human friends is that she's like, well, if I'm with David and I have these friends that are also human, like, I don't have control over who i Who knows what I am right. Like I don't have that control. Like there's that is very much I get a lot of those analogies with. Okay. If anything, it's a very nice book for like, right after pride. Oh, yeah. Transition. Yeah. Um, so she wakes up I'm in the hospital and like David is like by her side the whole time it doesn't leave. Because they, they had sort of that, like, we've had a communication breakdown. Hmm. Both of us think that the other person doesn't want to date them. Hmm, yeah, well, okay,
Margie:maybe we should
Unknown:try this.
Margie:Everybody else has been like, when are you going to do that? Uh huh,
Rachel:exactly. Um, so. So they, she's in the hospital and like her foster mom, who like a little lady who was her foster mom, like takes in dev and Keroh. As like, you know, obviously, we're getting the paperwork done, but you can stay with me and like, I'll take care of you for now. And like, we still have to get the court stuff. But all of this like everything is wrapped up legally. They're exonerated David and Annette. It's like, Nah, dude, you're fine. You were doing the right thing. Like, yay. When elk lady is dead, so
Margie:yeah, that's, that's fine. That loose. Yeah,
Rachel:it's fine. It's fine. And after like a week in the hospital, they go back and forth.
Margie:Yay. Is it good?
Rachel:It's not bad. Okay. It does. Anyway, involve animal parts. We don't yet get a yums. But yeah, my thing not not gay. Yeah, nope. Yeah, no animal parts involved. Just the normal human animal parts. Yeah, I, there was so much that I had to kind of gloss over and so Okay, getting into review territory and also discussion territory. I think as far as all of the shifter books that we've read, this is one that did it. Right. Okay. The world building was pretty well done. The actual, like, biology, for lack of a better word of being a shifter and like shifters in general made a lot of sense. Like, they did a really good job of like, I mean, elk shifters can't eat meat, right? Because they're not made to eat me, right? Like, and like all of you like, there was enough of this bleed over where it was like, Okay, you're not just a person that can brood and turn into a wolf, you're like, also, it was very much written as this is part of you as a person, okay? And they discussed that in the book of like it when people say, Oh, you can turn into a bear. No, I am a bear. I'm just also a person, right? They kind of touched on that, which I thought was really interesting. Complaint wise. And this is part of the reason I had to skip over so much of like little stuff that comes in, like a little bit of natspec Natalie's backstory, like, pay a little bit of Passpack for all that stuff is because it was hectic
Margie:to die. Yeah, a lot happening in three days.
Rachel:A lot happening. And the writing style itself jumped around a lot. There was a lot of really good snarky dialogue, but it felt like it never stopped. There was never just a conversation. It was always snarky, back and forth. Always. So just like it got a little bit difficult to follow catch up. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and it switched, like when someone was a bear or an end in there where form the writing style switch and I think it did it in a good way and not in like a creep like a weird way. It was like a, okay, this person is operating more on instincts than conscious thought, which makes sense for like, a bear person or whatever. But it also jumped perspectives. Every chapter. It didn't do it 12 times in a chapter. But it did get kind of confusing. Oh, I never explained why a net was called net. Yeah. Um, her charges like her foster kids and stuff that she oversees. They call her net. And dev says that and so David's like oh, okay, so like you know, she'll always come and get you when you run away kind of thing like just casting a net out for him. He's like, no, no, no. More like, more like the net that like a trapeze artist would fall into so like if you ever fall like she'll always be there to catch you it was just it was it was every one in this book was a cinnamon roll except the bad Yeah, except the people who weren't and they died. Yeah. And I I admit when I read like someone a bad guy dying or whatever, and it's like almost glorified or in a like, well, they deserved it. Yeah, I don't love it. Yeah, because I don't I'm not for the death penalty. Like I don't particularly agree with that. It's not justice. But damn, can it be satisfying some? Yes. And in a lot of instances, it's that nameless, faceless This is the bad guy so you don't have that empathy. But I admit I did like the book you get incapacitate like a bastard. Good. Yeah, no, it was it was a fun book. Okay, it was I would I would definitely classify it as just a fun ride.
Margie:Okay, do you want to write on characters on the fly? Not weird.
Rachel:I do want to add our characters. So I actually am gonna rate the characters David and Annette. Okay, kind of Hi. Um, because they did a really good job of going into backstory like David's an orphan too. And he like has therapy. He has like his mom's voice like always in his head because of like, she nagged him all the fucking time when he was little and like, he had like a really good backstory and like the reason he has human friends and all this stuff is really fleshed out. So I'm gonna give him a four. Okay, I'm gonna give a net for two. Okay, both of them were just such cinnamon rolls. The only reason they're not getting fives is because the Snark just never ended. Okay, and that I didn't, okay, to an extent it's fine, but it was like, I felt like I needed to have AD like, add to follow the conversation sometimes. It's like 12 different topics happening and I don't know which one to follow. And I can't keep up with all of them. Exactly. Yeah, maybe it's just because I am a lowly stable. It's all about that. That elevated.
Margie:She does that mean? I'm like a shifter?
Rachel:Maybe? You might be able to follow the conversations too. You're aware cat?
Margie:I'm aware of cat.
Rachel:Oh, gosh.
Margie:Am I like a warehouse cat though? Or can I be like aware Panther or something?
Rachel:I know you want to be when I save us. Next walks away. Loves me. I'm sorry. Next story. Yes. Um, boy, it was a fucking ride. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was interesting. It was pretty middle of the road. Oh, two and a half, I guess fine. Yeah, the sex definitely felt like it was just kind of thrown out there. Okay. It didn't really fit. Okay, the story. It's, you know, it's that balance between like you said, you don't want it to all be romance, right, Sara Lee, but you don't want it to all be plot and I was like, it needed to balance a little better. So I'm gonna give the smoke and the smoke was it was fine. Yeah, I'm gonna have like a two and a half. Okay. Um, overall, I would give it like a six or seven. It was a fun book. It was everyone was an IT WAS AN our boy or girl, except the bad people. And it was just like, despite some of the extremely problematic topics. Yeah, it was very well done. Oh, yeah. A good shifter book. We
Margie:had we had a time we had a good time. We didn't have time. We had a good time.
Rachel:How Margie? I do want to make sure you're okay. Because like, how is your neck hurting from all of that whiplash from the cover and description and how the actual book was
Margie:not bad. Not any more than hothead where it's like, Wait, there are actually good. Good people in this book. The guy selling the porn was an okay decent person. No Hama though. No homo. No, no. Absolutely. No. Just kiss me, bro.
Rachel:Dude, bro. We've been friends forever. Of course. It's fine.
Margie:So then, Rachel, when you have not been reading werebear shifter books, what have you been reading or consuming?
Rachel:I picked up for so I started this book a while ago and then I just stopped. And then and all of a sudden this summer. I'm like, that's a good summer read. I want to read that again. It is labyrinth. Not yet on our lap. Yeah, the last one. But yeah, most small lessons. Yeah. It's like this, like historical mystery that jumps between like this, like 1600s and now always really highly rated. Hundreds. Yeah. Yeah. It's so I've read to another of her books called the winter ghost. It's like a It's a novella. Okay. And it's really good. Okay. So this one is like it has very hard like, Secret Society Illuminati vibe. Or like, like Knights Templar, and like jumping forth between this archaeologist lady and then also this like, this woman in like the, I don't even maybe it's 1300s history in southern France, right in history over arcing. And it's really interesting. Like, I want to be sitting on a beach and reading it. They're like it's it just feels like yeah, she has no summer. It just feels like a book you want to absolutely read while hot.
Margie:Yes. Relax.
Rachel:Yes. Yeah. So I'm excited to pick that one up and like actually finish it because I remember liking the first little bit that I read but I need I'm probably gonna start over. I'm like I need to, but I just found it like yesterday, so I'm excited to start reading that one. Yeah.
Margie:Okay,
Rachel:how much I am still just shook that we had a decent I know, but I'm shocked. Yeah. Did Did playing it fast and loose makes sense. It did you did great. You did great. Yeah, I know I skipped out on a couple side plots, but there was a fuckload of sidewalks so Yeah, can't hit them all. Hey, exactly. Hey. Thank you guys for listening. Um, just a quick reminder I know I mentioned in the beginning, but we are still doing that donation for reviews. Yes. campaign so we will donate if you give us a rating. Yeah. five star rating $5. to charity.
Margie:Yeah.
Rachel:It really nobody. Nobody loses. Yeah, yes, we've gotten one. So that's $5 Um, so please do that. That would be fantastic. Hey, thank you, Eleanor. You for the use of your song. Oh, love of the album be held. It's great. It's a bop. It's.
Margie:We've listened. We have had it for so long.
Rachel:It's true. And we love it. And hey, everybody. I know it's not pride anymore. So happy wrath month. Yeah. Happy rest. Happy gay. Happy gay RAS. And hey, I hope you guys are doing great and we love you so much. It's true. We love you. Right. Are we good? We're good. Have a very good day.